Studying the Efficacy of Psychodrama With the Hermeneutic Single Case Efficacy Design: Results From a Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Throughout the last decades, scientific and therapeutic communities have made common efforts to collect reliable information concerning the efficacy of psychotherapies. One of these initiatives has, recently, involved the psychodrama community and its desire to achieve progress in the validation of this therapy. Based on Robert Elliott’s Hermeneutic Single Case Efficacy Design, we followed five participants (three women, two men, aged 27–48 years) of a psychodrama group over the course of their therapeutic process, which ranged from 24 months to 5 years. For the single case study, we selected the participant who had the longest data collecting record, including one follow-up. Participants generally reported improvement in their personal therapeutic goals, decrease in symptoms and life problems, and some showed a marked increase in spontaneity levels. In the single case, these results are confirmed, and following decision criteria it is possible to assert that the participant improved in all the variables assessed and that therapy is the main cause of these changes. Furthermore, the participant frequently rated psychodrama sessions as being helpful and stated they had a transformational impact on his life. This research contributes toward validating psychodrama as an efficient therapeutic method, hopefully stimulating practitioners to integrate therapy and research—which, for years, were considered independent and incompatible—and to facilitate their use in a complementary way.

Surveying 80 Years of Psychodrama Research: A Scientometric Review

“…There has also been a trend of integrating elements of psychodrama, or even more loosely, role-playing and theater elements, with other forms of psychotherapy. Unfortunately, while there are indications of an evolution of psychodrama and applications toward broader fields of research, psychodrama intervention techniques seem to have remained fairly unchanged, save for the online adaptation in 29)'s metaanalysis in this cluster, among others (e.g., (77,87)). An interesting opinion on research methodology comes from Yaniv (86)'s paper on spontaneity in psychodrama and its relationship with current neurocognitive theories.…”

Integrative systematic review of psychodrama psychotherapy research: Trends and methodological implications

“…Examples of mixed method designs include Convergent Parallel design, Exploratory Sequential design, and Explanatory Sequential design [63]. One mixed methods approach that has been adopted by some PD researchers in Europe [64] is the Hermeneutic Single-Case Efficacy Design which integrates quantitative outcome and weekly change data with clients’ qualitative accounts of change over therapy, while examining alternative non-therapy explanations for changes in therapy [65].…”

Intervenções Em Psicodrama: Uma Revisão Sistemática

“…A categoria "Avaliação do Processo Terapêutico" é composta por três artigos. As intervenções buscaram avaliar a eficácia do psicodrama como método psicoterapêutico na solução de problemas (Gonzalez et al, 2018), examinar o engajamento psicodramático e o vínculo terapêutico entre adolescentes (Orkibi et al, 2017) e refletir sobre a mudança pessoal e o aprendizado emocional no processo terapêutico de futuros psicoterapeutas (Dima & Bucuţă, 2012). Apenas um artigo apresentou limitações, que foi o tamanho reduzido da amostra para fins estatísticos, falta de vídeos gravados para auxílio interpretativo e estudos futuros com classificações de observadores dos comportamentos (Orkibi et al, 2017).…”

“…Apenas um artigo apresentou limitações, que foi o tamanho reduzido da amostra para fins estatísticos, falta de vídeos gravados para auxílio interpretativo e estudos futuros com classificações de observadores dos comportamentos (Orkibi et al, 2017). Os resultados apresentados foram a percepção de mudanças na vida dos participantes, como maior empatia, aumento do bem-estar e espontaneidade, melhoria de objetivos terapêuticos, diminuição de sintomas e percepção do psicodrama como algo útil e com impacto transformacional na vida deles (Gonzalez et al, 2018). Foi considerado que o envolvimento dramático do cliente aumentou a probabilidade de comportamentos de exploração cognitivo-comportamentais, emocionais, insights e mudança terapêutica nas sessões, com menos resistência (Orkibi et al, 2017).…”